It has been 502 days since Jacob deGrom last took a big league mound. The Rangers ace left the Globe Life Field mound that day with a UCL injury that would later require his second Tommy John surgery.

Nearly 15 months later, deGrom is set to return to the big leagues to boost the Rangers in the season’s final two weeks.

On Friday night, Jacob deGrom is set to make his 2024 season debut in Seattle when Texas takes on the Mariners in the second game of a four-game set.

deGrom’s start will come just a day after Rangers’ top pitching prospect Kumar Rocker makes his MLB debut and a day before Texas gets Max Scherzer back off the IL.

As for what we could expect from deGrom, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy laid that out prior to Texas’ 0-6 loss in Arizona on Tuesday.

Bochy said deGrom could go “five innings” or “60 pitches”. He also added that if “innings are going real smooth” deGrom could “go back out”.

In four minor league rehab starts, deGrom had an ERA of just 0.84 in 10.2 innings with both AA Frisco and AAA Round Rock.

Pitching half of his rehab innings in one start will be a significant step for deGrom, whose rehab process certainly isn’t over despite returning to the big leagues.

With there being just under three weeks left in the season and Texas sitting seven games out of a playoff spot, it could be easy for some to wonder why deGrom is coming back this year but for both him and Bruce Bochy, it’s important.

“Get out there this year, kind of treat it like a normal offseason, and get ready for next year,” deGrom said when speaking to the media about his goals for the remainder of the season.

“He’s missed a lot of time,” Bruce Bochy said. “He’s an athlete. He’s a pitcher. He wants to compete. I think it means a lot to him as he goes into the offseason.”

From an organizational standpoint, deGrom is under contract for the next three seasons and is expected to be the ace of this rotation for the duration of that time.

Seeing deGrom come back and go into the offseason strong is important for the Rangers organization.

At the end of the day, who knows? Maybe deGrom can help lead a baseball miracle.